Wall structure and building unit therefor



July 12, 1932. M. K. ARMSTRONG WALL STRUCTURE AND BUILDING UNIT THEREFOR Filed April' 7, 1950 f "tr 7 INVENTOR Patented July 12, 1932 MORGAN K. ARMSTRONG, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRIOT OF COLUMBIA WALL STRUCTURE AN D BUILDING UNIT THEREFOR Application filed April 7, 1930. Serial No. 442,296.

Thisinvention relates to the art of building wall structures for houses, barns, garages and the like and to units comprising said walls, and consists of the matters hereinafter 6 described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the use of lumber in the building art, there is great waste of lumber left over at the mills after cutting the usual forms and lengths adapted for commercial use because there is no call or demand or present method of use of the so-called short length lumber, millions of feet of which are wasted in the United States. The object of the present inyention is to devise a cheap and economical building unit and a wall structure in which the same may be economically and readily used by means of which the so-called short lengths of lumber may be advantageously used in the manufacture of said building units. Another object of the invention is to provide a building unit which, though light in weight, is strong and durable and when incorporated in the improved wall structure will present all the vertical support required in such wall to adequately support the load of floors, roofing and the like. Another ob ject of the invention is to provide a unit of the kind where the material composing the same may be shipped to the point of erection knocked down or in shooks to be set up into the form of units on the job, thus taking advantage. of greatly reduced freight rates as compared to the cost of units of the kind if shipped set up and ready for use. Another object of the invention is to provide a unit of the kind in which any suitable and cheap insulating material, such as slag, gypsum plaster, sand or any suitable material found at or located near the job may be incorporated into the unit as desired or necessary for the purpose of the structure in which 1 the wall structure is to be used.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention willappear. more fully as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view showing in perspective one form of the improved building unit.

Figure 2 is a view representing in side elevation a partial wall structure with the building units in erected relation.

Figure 3 is a. view showing a partial verture with the building units provided with a different form of covering for the sides presented as the outside finish of the wall structure.

'tical section at perspective of a wall struc-.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the unit showing one means of insulating it. Figure 5 is a perspective view of an end part of a modified form of the building unit. Figure 6 is a side sectional elevation of one end of the unit shown in Figure 5. p The foundation of my invention is embraced ina building unit of a length equal to a multiple of the usual stud spacings-16 as for example, 327.01 48" lengths. It will be understood that these lengths are not necessary and may be varied as desired; but are adopted in ready following of present practice in building structures and as conforming-to the general practice in the making of door openings, window openings and the like. The building unitv may be square or rectangular as desired, such as 8 X 8" or 8" x 10". In its simplest form the unit consists of end members A, A, and an intermediate member A each 8 X 8", 8" X 10" or any other dimensions required. The three members A, A and A, are spaced 16 inches, as in the ordinary method of spacing studding in buildings. The sides B, B, and the top and bottom B B ,v of the block, are formed of thin veneer or any other suitable light weight material, such for example. as plasterboard, fibre-board, or the like. Said walls, as shown in Figure 1, are nailed to the end members A, A, and to the intermediate member A Obviously the resulting unit is a light, holow structure which may be assembled and completed on the iob-with the most ordinaryand cheapest labor and in a very short time, so that many of them may be erected and finished ready to be incorporated into the wall structure in a minimum of time.

In Figure 2 is shown a method of assembling the building unit in a wall. Qindicates the building'units which are laid one .side -walls B, .B of.the units maybe tured or perforated, asiindicated at E. Said apertures or perforations present holds for presented structure. ,sired, eachnnitmaybe filled, as indicated at .G in Figure 3, with .the desired insulating material atrhand. Mixturesof gypsum and saw-dust, ,kieselguhr or any other suitable .materialunay :be used for the purpose. --I

rial for the purpose. is -.used it is poured intotheunitand allowed .to setanddry before the unit in place, .therebysaving both time anddabor.

upon the other in horizontal courses, as when laying brick, with the joints broken and with the end members of one unit placed vertically above and vertically below the intermediate members of the units in the courses below and above the course in which it is contained. The mitsmay benailed together as indicated atD or may be held in; their, proper spaced relation in any other convenient manner, such as gypsum plaster.

Obviously; thesupport. ofthe .wall f is .presented by the end and intermediate members of the unit which extend iii-vertical rows from top to bottom of the wall so that rigid supporting structures presenting the same -vertical support. as vertical studding spaced on 16 centers, will-be incorporated inthe .Wall structure.

. For convement finishing inside and out, the

aperstucco applied to the outside of the walland forplaster applied: to the inside of. the wall; thus lath is eliminated andthe cost of a building in whichtheimproved wallstructure is incorporated is greatlyreduced, awallboard of gypsum or rough fibre requires .no holes.

If desired, one side wall ofthe unit, namely the one that isto present the outside face of .the building, board, as shown .in :board may .be ,notched or;matched.top and may ;be made of 1 .or .1" Figure-3, at Said bottom, and ends as indicatedat .f and,when

the units-are erectedto form a.wall.structure in ,this case, a lapped board effect will be which will .be of architectural the building containing the wall value in :If an insulating material s defin ha r rrn s d agyps m nd is .very cheap and effectiveinsulating mate- Whensuch material Again, insteadof entirely filling the unit with the .insulation material, it maybe applied simplyto one side, as-for, example, the .outside,,as.shown.in Figure 4. In this case before the final closing side wall is applied to,the unit, the insulationmaterial is applied -to.the said side wall to thedepthdesired, as

indicated at Diagonally running cleats hnailedto the side will aid in holding this insulation inplace.

1n Figures 5 and 6 I-have shown aform of the unit in which plasterboard is used for the sides andends of,tl1e unit. thiscase the 1 end and intermediate members of the unit .were preferably made in .the form of this unit, it may obviously be applied in .separatepieces, as in the. case ofthe veneer or wooden walls hereinbefore described, but

- in*thiscasethe-plasterboard L is made of such dimensions asto provide the four sides of the unitin a single piece. The plasterboard-is then scored onits outer face. asindicated at Z so that it may be wrapped around the frame, the. scoringpermitting breaking of the plasterboard at,the.corners of the block, but leaving the inner papersheet of the plasterboard unbroken andcontinuous. As a,result there is only one openjoint, as indicated at L where thetwoedges ofthe plasterboardwrapper meetat the one corner. Thismaybe filled andtclosed as desiredin any familiarmanner, The plasterboard-is nailed-to the frames K just asin the case of .the veneer sheets.

-The ,fr-ames -K may.be made in any convenient manner just sothat they .are rigid and secure in holding their form. ,For convenience 1n nailing the un1ts.1n.the wall structure, the frame p ece M corresponding tothe bottom side of the unit may be provided .withholes mfor thepassage of nails.

Then when building 7 the wall structure J the topside of the unit maybeleft open as, when .using a plasterboard wrapper, by leaving the top side of said wrapper in theposition indicatedin dotted lines at N,.untilrthe unit :has been nailed to theunit next below bynails taking through said holes.

If the open end formis used the endsof ,theunit may be covered by athin sheet asof plasterboard, fibre board or-thin wood,.indi- ,cated. at Oi. Forconvenience in securing the units in a course together end toend by .nails or otherwise, the end frames may be provided with transverse nail-holes P.

7 It will be obvious that the building units a .may be .cut to any length 'by .sawing the .same and inserting an extraend frame so that the section becomes a complete unit.

Thus the vertical line of a doorway, window, or other opening, may be-easily" conformed to as indicated in Figure 2 where C indiicates the door line and C 0* indicate two and a half units which havebeen sawed or cut toterminateat one end-inthe vertical fplaneofthe end ofthe full length intermediate building unit C. v

After the building wall is erected any usual or desirable interior orexterior finish may be applied to .the faces of the walls. They may :be waterproofed, painted, plastered,

"stuccoed, or in anywise finished and without the necessity of any lath, as hereinbefore pointed out.

I claim as my invention 1. A building unit consisting of an elongated member rectangular in cross section and comprising end and intermediate members spaced at equal intervals of the length of said unit, and a sheet of plasterboard formed and scored to be wrapped about said end and intermediate members secured thereto and forming the sides, top and bottom of said unit.

2. A building unit consisting of an elongated member rectangular in cross section and comprising end and intermediate members spaced at equal intervals of the length of said unit, and a sheet of plasterboard material formed and scored to be wrapped about said end and intermediate members and secured thereto to form the sides, top and bottom of said unit, the scores on said plasterboard sheet being in the outer face thereof and the inner paper of said plasterboard being continuous and unbroken.

3. A building unit consisting of an elongated member rectangular in cross section and comprising end and intermediate members spaced at equal intervals of the length of said unit, said members each consisting of an open frame, a sheet of plasterboard material formed and scored to be wrapped about said end and intermediate members and secured thereto to form the sides, top and bottom of said unit, the scores on said plasterboard sheet being in the outer face thereof and the inner paper of said plasterboard being continuous and unbroken, and sheets of thin material attached to and covering saidopen frames at the ends of the unit.

4. A building unit consisting of an elongated member rectangular in cross section and comprising end and intermediate members spaced at equal intervals of the length of said unit, a sheet of plasterboard formed and scored to be wrapped about said end, and intermediate members secured thereto and forming the sides, top and bottom of said unit, and an insulated gypsum filler for said unit.

5. A building unit consisting of an elongated member rectangular in cross section and comprising end and intermediate members spaced at equal intervals of the length of said unit and sheets of material secured to said end and intermediate members and forming the sides, top and bottom of said unit, one of said sheets being thicker than the others and being oppositely notched at its top and bottom edges and ends to provide an overlap when a plurality of said units are placed in assembled relation one upon the other.

6. A wall structure for houses and buildings comprising a plurality of units each consisting of an elongated member rectangular in cross section and comprising end and intermediate mmbers spaced at equal inter vals of the length of said unit, and sheets of material secured to said end and intermedi ate members and forming the sides, top and bottom of said unit, the said units being laid in courses the one upon the other with the units in the several courses arranged to break joints with the end members of one unit in vertical alignment with the intermediate members of the units in the courses above and below.

7. A wall structure for houses and buildings comprising a plurality of units each consisting of an elongated member rectangular in cross section and comprising end and intermediate members spaced at equal intervals of the length of said unit, sheets of material secured to said end and intermediate members and forming the sides, top and bottom of said unit, the said units being laid in courses the one upon the other with the units in the several courses arranged to break joints with the end members of one unit in vertical alignment with the intermediate members of the units in the courses above and below, and means securing the units of the several courses in fixed relation as thus arranged.

In testimony whereof I claim the foregoing as my invention, I afliX my signature this 27th day of March, A. D. 1930.

MORGAN K. ARMSTRONG. 

